August 29, 1914: an agonizing French Catholic soldier, in an infirmary bombarded by the Germans in the war front, asks a military chaplain, whom he believes to be a priest in a cassock, for a Crucifix. The chaplain was Chief Rabbi Abraham Bloch, who brings and presents to him the image of the Crucified Lord: moments later, both would be killed by an exploding shell. [For those who asked... the main eye-witness of the incident was Father Jamin, S.J., in whose arms Bloch finally expired. See, for instance, Maurice Barrès, Les diverses familles spirituelles de la France - published in English as The faith of France.]

In this small snippet from Dr. Roberto de Mattei's fascinating history of the Council, the author tries to answer some perplexing questions. Was the Second Vatican Council dominated by a "progressive" majority? Or were the "progressives" also in the minority? And, if so, why did they turn out to be the most influential minority? [Contributor and translator: Francesca Romana].

From the news agency of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX), DICI:

30-08-2011

General House of the Society of Saint Pius X: Bishop Fellay will be received by Cardinal Levada on September 14, 2011

Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, invited Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, and his two assistants, Father Niklaus Pfluger and Father Alain-Marc Nély, to meet him in the Palace of the Holy Office on September 14, 2011. In his letter of invitation, Cardinal Levada noted that the purpose of this meeting is first to make an assessment of the theological discussions conducted by the experts of the Congregation for the Faith and of the Society of Saint Pius X over the past two academic years, and then to consider the future prospects.

As an aid to making this assessment, the conclusions of the theological discussions drawn up by the experts of both parties were sent to their respective superiors. That is how Bishop Fellay received in late June the document that will be the subject of the meeting on September 14.

Concerning future prospects, Cardinal Levada’s letter provides no details, but some – in the media and elsewhere… [sic] – think that they are authorized to make hypotheses; they speak about the proposal of a formal agreement on the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council and foresee the institution of a personal prelature or of an ordinariate…. [sic] These hypotheses are the product of speculation and have only their authors to vouch for them. The Society of Saint Pius X abides by official proceedings and confirmed facts.

As Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta recalled on the occasion of the recent priestly ordinations in Ecône [June 29; 2011], “We are Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman. If Rome is the head and the heart of the Catholic Church, we know that (…) the crisis will necessarily be resolved in Rome and by Rome. Consequently, the little good we will do in Rome is much greater than the great deal of good that we will do elsewhere.” With this deep conviction Bishop Fellay will go [to Rome] at the invitation of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

(Source : SSPX/MG [General House] – DICI : 08/30/11)

___________________________

[Rorate will remain in silent recess until mid-September; relevant items could be posted in the meantime. We have replaced our own translation with the one provided a few hours afterwards by the FSSPX.]

Be ye not many masters, my brethren, knowing that you receive the greater judgment. For in many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. He is able also with a bridle to lead about the whole body. For if we put bits into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. Behold also ships, whereas they are great, and are driven by strong winds, yet are they turned about with a small helm, whithersoever the force of the governor willeth. Even so the tongue is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood.

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body, and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell. For every nature of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of the rest, is tamed, and hath been tamed, by the nature of man: but the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison. By it we bless God and the Father: and by it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Doth a fountain send forth, out of the same hole, sweet and bitter water? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear grapes; or the vine, figs? So neither can the salt water yield sweet. Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew, by a good conversation, his work in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contentions in your hearts; glory not, and be not liars against the truth. For this is not wisdom, descending from above: but earthly, sensual, devilish.

For where envying and contention is, there is inconstancy, and every evil work. But the wisdom, that is from above, first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation. And the fruit of justice is sown in peace, to them that make peace. [Epistle of Saint James, iii]

Reports reach the Forest now and again about bishops and vocations directors quizzing seminarians about their interest in the Extraordinary Form. This could be a good thing: they might be ensuring that seminarians are at one with the mind of the Church about the Extraordinary Form which Universae Ecclesiae told us a few months ago:

6. The Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI and the last edition prepared under Pope John XXIII, are two forms of the Roman Liturgy, defined respectively as ordinaria and extraordinaria: they are two usages of the one Roman Rite, one alongside the other. Both are the expression of the same lex orandi of the Church. On account of its venerable and ancient use, the forma extraordinaria is to be maintained with appropriate honour.

Thus if bishops and vocations directors are expressing any concern regarding the Extraordinary Form and seminarians it would, one would think, be to ensure that all seminarians are at home in both forms of the Roman Rite and most importantly are taught how to celebrate and to love the EF.

Sadly this is not what one hears. Instead seminarians are quizzed about their interest in the Extraordinary Form in such a way as to make clear to them that any interest would be considered a problem and as they used to say in my time, `a formation issue`. This is outrageous given developments in recent years. Eventually this will change but until then it is sad that people who are only following the directives of the Holy See are made to suffer.

Is there actually an American diocese willing to look beyond the so-called "reform of the reform" to what should rightly been seen as rupture?

The Diocese of Phoenix is holding a Conference on the 1965 Rite. Bishops Olmsted, Cordileone (of Oakland) and Elliot (Auxiliary in Melbourne Australia) will be there, along with some "conservative" liturgists.

It is not a Tridentine Conference but, according to a well-known traditional priest and friend of Rorate, it is his understanding that the underlying message of the conference is that the 1965 Rite was supposed to have been the end of the reform. In other words: a future New Rite was not intended by the bishops in 1963, the reform was dutifully implemented by 1965 - and ulterior developments were, ultimately, a rupture with tradition.
Our priest source also believes this is not a "reform of the reform" conference either. The reform of the reform assumes that the Novus Ordo is the direction, but it just needs to reigned in a bit. This conference, he believes, is very quietly suggesting that the Novus Ordo should not have been.

If true, this could turn out to be a remarkable event, and we will grant any of our readers who attend the event the ability to post a report on this blog. Just send us your report at athanasiuscatholic@yahoo.com

Also interesting will be, if this gets enough pre-conference press, will it be shut down before it ever takes place ...

The Cola Consecration Conference Decries Ban on Cola use in Phoenix Diocese

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 22, 2011

Contact: empowered@cola-consecration.com

WASHINGTON, DC - August 22, 2011 - Cola soft drinks will no longer be allowed as an ingredient in consecration matter during Mass at the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, SS. Simon and Jude. In response, the Cola Consecration Conference has issued an action alert calling on the Diocese to immediately reinstate cola soft drinks in that parish.

"If young people in the Phoenix diocese want to grow up to work for the Church - or even aspire to the priesthood - I, and the vast majority of U.S. Catholics, don't see the harm in the use of such a popular drink," said Scarlett O'Tara, executive director of the Cola Consecration Conference. "Around the country, cola drinks have been lawfully served at the altar for well over a decade."

Reportedly, Rev. Reaction banned cola from the altar because he exclusively wants wine and a tiny bit of water to be used in this way. Since 1994, the Vatican and the U.S. Bishops have allowed the use of some cola drinks at the altar. There is no restriction in Canon Law for some cola to be used at the altar during the liturgy.

"This is not only disgraceful, it is impractical. Cola soft drinks are less expensive, more popular, and comprise at least 80 per cent of bottled drinks, and they are the backbone of the non-alcoholic beverage industry around the world," continued O'Tara.

"The Vatican's stance on the consecration of cola is based on arguments that have been refuted time and again. In 1976, the Vatican's own Pontifical Biblical Commission determined that there is no scriptural reason to prohibit the use of cola in consecration. Jesus included water, sugar, corn, natural flavorings, and carbon dioxide as full and equal natural products of Creation, as much as grapes, and the hierarchy would do well to follow suit," O'Tara concluded.

It sounds like the set-up to a bad barroom joke: What do Communist China, the State of Israel, and the traditionalist Catholic Society of St. Pius X (popularly known as the “Lefebvrites”) have in common?

Actually, it sounds like the beginning of a bad article. Honestly, other than some Italian journalists and, now, the senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter (popularly known as the "Heresists"), we have never heard anyone in a popular setting call those in any way related to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX) "Lefebvrites". It is true that, in some Francophone areas and media, it is common to hear them (and all other traditional-minded Catholics) disdainfully called "intégristes" - but "popularly" means literally commonly said by the people; and it is simply not used in common conversation by almost anyone anywhere.

John Allen Jr. has also been recently trying to "popularize" an expression coined by Allen himself that would cover anyone who is Catholic and believes at least in the Nicene Creed - he calls them "Evangelical Catholics", but we would rather not help "popularize" the expression, because its true aim is to insist, by contrast, that this group and the others (perhaps the "Anti-Evangelical Catholics", those who are against the Gospel...) can peacefully live together inside one big tent.

We have never been fooled by Allen - as our first readers may remember from pre-Summorum days (see here and here), when, at first, he dismissed reports of the coming motu proprio as a myth: he is the most problematic kind of media-writer, one that pretends to be a "neutral journalist" and an "insightful analyst", but is in fact desperately trying to influence events. Which, of course, is exactly what he is trying to do now, by recycling old, irrelevant, and unverifiable information, behind the usual "nice" façade. We would just like to give our readers a heads-up: no one writes for the National Catholic Reporter by chance.

To Peter the Prince of the Apostles, the divine Founder of the Church allotted the gifts of inerrancy in matters of faith and of union with God. This relationship is similar to that of a "Choir Director of the Choir of the Apostles." He is the common teacher and rector of all, so that he might feed the flock of Him who established His Church on the authority of Peter himself and his successors. And on this mystical rock the foundation of the entire ecclesiastical structure stands firm as on a hinge. From it rises the unity of Christian charity as well as our Christian faith. ...

The ancient Fathers, especially those who held the more illustrious chairs of the East, since they accepted these privileges as proper to the pontifical authority, took refuge in the Apostolic See whenever heresy or internal strife troubled them. For it alone promised safety in extreme crises. Basil the Great did so, as did the renowned defender of the Nicene Creed, Athanasius, as well as John Chrysostom. For these inspired Fathers of the orthodox faith appealed from the councils of bishops to the supreme judgement of the Roman Pontiffs according to the prescriptions of the ecclesiastical Canons. Who can say that they were wanting in conformity to the command which they had from Christ? Indeed, lest they should prove faithless in their duty, some went fearlessly into exile, as did Liberius and Silverius and Martinus. ...

However We, who embrace the Eastern Church with no less solicitude and charity than our predecessors, truly rejoice, now that the frightful war is ended. We rejoice that many in the Eastern community have achieved liberty and wrested their holy things from the control of the laity.

The deciding issueconcerning the position of the priest at the altar is, as we have said, the nature of the Mass as a sacrificial offering. The person who is doing the offering is facing the one who is receiving the offering; thus, he stands before the altar, positioned ad Dominum, facing the Lord.

If, nowadays, the aim is to emphasize the aspect of the communal meal during the "Eucharistic Feast" by celebrating versus populum, this aim is not being met, at least not in the way some might have hoped. The new arrangement has the "meal leader" positioned at the table, by himself. The other "meal participants" are situated in the nave, or in the "auditorium," not directly connected to the "meal table." ...

The focus must forever be on God, not man. This has always meant that everyone turn towards Him in prayer, rather than that the priest face the people. From this insight, we must draw the necessary conclusion and admit that the celebration versus populum is, in fact, an error. In the final analysis, celebration versus populum is a turning towards man, and away from God.

Yesterday's and today's daily thoughts of the French District of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX) - their website, La Porte Latine, publishes a different saying of their Founder, Abp. M. Lefebvre, every day:

"Let me be well understood, I do not say that the Fraternity is the Church, but [that] we are of the Church, as the Sulpicians, the Lazarists, the Foreign Missions, and so many others were."

"There is but one Church, of which we are a powerful branch, filled with sap, approved by the Church exactly as other societies were in the past, and that now are, alas, in their great majority dying of natural death."

The future Parish will be staffed with priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), who begin celebrating daily Mass in the diocese already on September 4; their page adds: "A beautiful 40 acres parcel of land has been donated for this new Traditional Latin Mass Parish [near Breen and Fairbanks N. Houston - see Google Maps for surroundings] which will eventually have a full parish complex including a traditional style church, rectory, parish hall with room for a retirement facility, retreat house, and possibly a parish school."

Thanks be to God, and congratulations to Cardinal DiNardo, to the faithful of Houston and surrounding areas, and to the state of Texas, which will now host three personal parishes dedicated to the Traditional Mass (the first one being Mater Dei, in the Diocese of Dallas, and the second one St. Joseph the Worker, in the Diocese of Tyler).

P.S. Congratulations to Fr. C. Van Vliet, FSSP, as well, who seems set to begin years of construction work in Houston...

[Update - Aug. 24, 1200 GMT: The Superior General of the Fraternity, Bishop B. Fellay, confirmed the date of the meeting on Aug. 15, adding that its purpose is "final evaluation of the doctrinal discussions between Rome and the SSPX which have occurred since October 2009," and that "no other specifics are known at this time," as reported today by the websites of the French and of the American Districts of the SSPX. This is also added here for the historical record of events.]

None of this (really, not a single point) is news to our readers - but, since we like to keep a running record of reports, this is what Vaticanist Andrea Tornielli mentions now:

Mary, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Mother of the Redeemer: we join the many generations who have called you “Blessed”. Listen to your children as we call upon your name. You promised the three children of Fatima that “in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph”. May it be so! May love triumph over hatred, solidarity over division, and peace over every form of violence! May the love you bore your Son teach us to love God with all our heart, strength and soul. May the Almighty show us his mercy, strengthen us with his power, and fill us with every good thing (cf. Lk 1:46-56). We ask your Son Jesus to bless these children and all children who suffer throughout the world. May they receive health of body, strength of mind, and peace of soul. But most of all, may they know that they are loved with a love which knows no bounds or limits: the love of Christ which surpasses all understanding (cf. Eph 3:19). Amen.

[Interesting images: Pontifical Mass celebrated on Saturday by Cardinal Burke at the end of the August pilgrimage of traditional Catholics to the historic shrine of Our Lady of Rocamadour (full gallery). / Recess for several days.]

In this time of upheaval and uncertainty, please, be mindful of Christians in Syria - the land that gave us so many conversions, saints, martyrs and confessors, since the earliest days of our Church, the land that gave us, through its ancient Petrine See of Antioch (now located in southern Turkey), some of the major rites of the East, including that of Constantinople.

"Remember in your prayers the Church in Syria, which now has God for its shepherd, instead of me."

Well, we will not tell you not to go. But, in a little over two months, traditional-minded Catholics in South America (and elsewhere) can have a very Catholic experience by going to the first Christ the Redeemer Youth Pilgrimage, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The event will take place on the last Sunday in October, that is, the Feast of Christ the King (Oct. 30, 2011). We are told that the intention of those responsible for it is that it may become a yearly event; we have not been told the exact physical effort that will be necessary, but it can probably be called a "crash-pilgrimage" - even though there are alternative, easier, paths, some physical exertion will certainly be necessary at least in part of the way to the 2,329-foot (710 m) summit where the famous image of Our Lord is located (it is a pilgrimage, after all).

Spiritual direction will be provided and only the Traditional Mass will be celebrated (by a diocesan priest) - for other information, please contact the e-mail adress provided below

Conference 2011

Conference: "Applying the Fruits of the Extraordinary Rite to Family Life" The manifest fruits of the Mass of Ages can provide a solid foundation for the spiritual life of your family. In this one-day conference, our two distinguished speakers will address what Catholic families can do and gain from a deeper appreciation of the traditional Latin Mass. Deep experience has shown that the reverence, solemnity, quiet and beauty of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite can produce rich spiritual growth and foster the formation of saints. Download the flyer and registration form

The Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX), Bishop Bernard Fellay, had already announced in June, "that Cardinal Levada has called me to Rome and it appears that it will be around the middle of September".

We now have, provided by an official source of the Fraternity (the website of its German district, in an item posted yesterday), the information that the date of the meeting is September 14 (Exaltation of the Holy Cross and fourth anniversary of the entry into force of Summorum Pontificum) and that, besides the Superior General himself, his two assistants will also be present in the meeting: Fr. Niklaus Pfluger and Fr. Alain-Marc Nély.

Father F. Schmidberger, former Superior General and current head of the German district, is responsible for this piece of information, which also includes the following: "it is understood that the meeting will dwell on the canonical situation of the Fraternity".

And the item ends with this request: "All Catholics who receive the Sacraments in the churches and chapels of the Society of Saint Pius X in Germany are asked to include this meeting on the Feast of Exaltation of the Cross in their prayers."

Thanks to the kindness of his family, the legacy of Mr. Laszlo Kiss, Divinumofficium.com, is now under the care of a dear friend of this blog - a diocesan Priest in the East Coast of the United States and chaplain of our "Purgatorial Society". Many parties will be involved with the running of the site and with the establishment of stable mirror sites, including at least one religious Congregation.

Father once again dearly thanks all who offered their help, and informs us and assures you that the specific Divinumofficium.comdomain nameis not going anywhere for a long time. He also asks us to inform you that, instead of directing correspondence to Mr. Kiss's former email address, all mail regarding the website, as well as, and in particular, all offers of help (from proofreading and rubrical corrections to technical aid and new vernacular translations - we are particularly interested in including a French translation of the contents) are to be addressed to:

[Aug. 20 Note: we are pushing this up so that those who did not take part in the discussion may do so.]

In our reference post on the Code of Rubrics (Codex Rubricarum), we wished to avoid discussions, since it is indeed a post for reference, i.e., it is intended for those simply looking for online sources on the rubrics and general liturgical rules of the "Extraordinary Form" of the Roman Rite.

This begins a series of open threads on the liturgical rules of the Traditional Latin Mass. Remember that these are the rules in force - so, please, discuss at will, but avoid angry generalizations such as, "Bugnini lied, people died."

The Codex Rubricarum (1960) of the "1962 Roman Missal" states the following regarding the "active participation of the faithful":

2. The Juventutem feed is still the first item in our sidebar: the Missa Cantata for the young Traditional-minded Catholics in WYD was celebrated today by the Juventutem chaplain, Fr. A. de Malleray, FSSP, in the parish church of Saint Francis de Sales (San Francisco de Sales).

The evening and night hours of the Divine Office will be publicly prayed tonight by the Juventutem pilgrims at the Cuatro Vientos airport.

A holy priest is a saviour and another Christ, taking the Master's place on earth, representing Him, clothed with His authority, acting in His name, adorned with His qualifications, exercising His judgment on earth in the tribunal of penance. He is consecrated to exercise the highest functions Christ ever performed on earth, to continue the work of salvation. In imitation of His Redeemer he gives himself, mind, heart, affections, strength, time, all for God. He is ever ready to sacrifice his very blood and even life itself to procure the salvation of souls, particularly those of his own flock.

He is a god, living and walking on earth; a god by grace and by participation, clothed with the perfections and attributes of God, namely, His divine authority, power, justice, mercy, charity, benignity, purity and holiness. He is a god delegated to carry on God's noblest works, the priestly and pastoral duties, as great St. Dionysius says: Omnium divinorum divinissimum est cooperari Deo in salutem animarum - "The most divine of all divine things is to cooperate with God in the salvation of souls."

A Pontifical Mass has just been celebrated by the Ordinary of Toulouse, Archbishop Robert Le Gall, at the main church for Traditional activities in Madrid, the parish church of Saint Francis de Sales (San Francisco de Sales). The setting was Byrd's Mass for four voices.

The Juventutem Twitter feed continues as the first item in our sidebar (refresh page for updates).

The Church has been for quite some time strenuously defending herself from a media-driven movement that has turned on the lights on the phenomenon of the erotic activities and aberrations of the clergy. And it is not only about the horrors of pedophilia, but also red-light feasts, orgies, and clandestine sorties of every kind. Abandoning the cassock and wearing civilian clothes, many priests have gone from the sacred onto the secular in no time. I ask a friend who writes for this paper, Father Filippo Di Giacomo, if it would not be more appropriate, for him and for his jolly colleagues, to renounce walking around in civilian clothes and go back to wearing the long habit of the priest. It would not be embarrassing to wear it, on the contrary, it would be a sign of respect for the Catholic community and would even have the power of eliminating any ambiguity. It is hard to recognize a priest from a fellow in a shirt: we are in the presence of a deception, at least at the semiotic level. My friend Di Giacomo should throw his "lay" habits out of the window and launch an appeal to all priests in the world that it be forbidden to wear anything except for two cassocks: one of wool for winter, and one of cotton for summer. This will certainly not deter the truly possessed from eros, but will keep at bay the profusion of numerous, small daily corruptions. It is said, in general, that "l'abito non fa il monaco" ["the habit does not a monk make"], but it is not thus for the Church: the habit must make the monk. Catholicism, as other religions, lives off of symbols, of rites, of chastity, of foundational and unrenounceable values, of faithfulness to doctrine, of rigorous obedience to priestly rules. The cassock, at the simple sight, conveys to us all this: much spirit and little flesh. A priest who replaces his cassock with plain clothes gives up the spirit, as it were.

A High Mass will be offered on the Feast of the Holy Rosary, Friday, 7 October 2011, at St. Titus Church, 952 Franklin Ave, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, (just NW of Pittsburgh) at 6pm, followed by the Fourth Annual Battle of Lepanto Dinner.

This year's speaker is Dr. David Allen White. The celebrant will be a priest of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. Holy Rosary & Confessions begin at 5:30pm. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Woodlawn Council 2161 Traditional Latin Mass Guild. For more information please visit: http://knightsofcolumbuslatinmass.blogspot.com/

Dom Jean Pateau, OSB, was elected today new Abbot of Our Lady of Fontgombault, that brightest of stars in the Congregatio Solesmensis, and Mother Abbey of Randol, Triors, Clear Creek, and Donezan. The Abbot Emeritus, Dom Antoine Forgeot, OSB, resigned in July after years of great deeds for Christ and His Church, for the traditions of the Roman Rite, and for the pure and original legacy of Dom Prosper Guéranger. [Original source: Le Salon Beige.]

A Pontifical High Mass has just been celebrated by the Ordinary of Fréjus-Toulon, Bishop Dominique Rey, at the main church of Traditional activities in Madrid, the parish church of Saint Francis de Sales (San Francisco de Sales).

The Juventutem Twitter feed continues as the first item in our sidebar (refresh page for updates).